LEADERS OF INTEGRITY
LEADERS OF INTEGRITY
Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said. —I Samuel 12:3-5
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” —Acts 20:33-35
Godly servants serve God and people because they love God and people. It is not about what they can get, but what they can give. That is a leader worth following! Let’s look at the example of Samuel and Paul and what they had to say about themselves. Then… whether we are a leader or not, let us look at our own lives and see if we can say the same things. These two men had mentioned they—
- Did not take anyone’s ox.
- Did not take anyone’s donkey.
- Did not cheat anyone.
- Did not oppress anyone.
- Did not accept a bribe.
- Did not covet anyone’s silver
- Did not covet anyone’s gold
- Did not covet anyone’s clothing
In all these things Samuel said, “If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” The people responded that Samuel neither “cheated them or oppressed them.” The Apostle Paul said that “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
These two leaders were men of integrity. They did not cheat anyone. They did not oppress anyone. They were faithful providers of their own needs and the needs of others. And they surely lived out what Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That really sums up what it means to live a godly life. Do you and I look to be takers… or givers? It is more of a blessing to give rather than receive. Which do we live for?
Dear Father may I be one that seeks to be more blessed by giving than receiving. May this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and by the authority of Your Son Jesus. Yes, may I be a giver! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJgyQGl33kw